Golden Knights rally to beat Avalanche, move one win from Stanley Cup Final

The team that was left for dead two months ago is very much alive.

A team that went into this series as decisive betting underdogs, and not given much of a chance in this series.

Yes, that very group is one win from going back to the Stanley Cup Final. And of course, the Vegas Golden Knights did it in comeback fashion, much like they’ve done all year.

They saved their best comeback for Sunday, trailing by three goals in the first period but scoring five unanswered to defeat the Colorado Avalanche in an improbable 5-3 victory in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final at T-Mobile Arena.

A nightmarish first period put the Knights on their heels for the first time in this series.

Colorado stormed out to a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes and outshot the Knights 16-7.

The Avalanche played like the Presidents’ Trophy winners. It would’ve been understandable for the Knights to reset and regroup heading into Game 4 on Tuesday night.

Instead, the Knights — who made a living on rallies throughout the regular season — did it again.

Captain Mark Stone, in his return to the lineup after missing five games with a lower-body injury, opened the scoring 19 seconds into the second period on the power play.

Center William Karlsson scored his first goal since Oct. 26, and Keegan Kolesar tied it with 7:14 left in the middle frame.

Center Tomas Hertl broke the deadlock at 8:21 of the third by cutting to the middle and firing a backhand past goaltender Scott Wedgewood. Winger Brett Howden iced it with an empty-net goal with 59 seconds left.

“This is a game where we showed some balls,” coach John Tortorella said.

Instead of the Knights packing it in, they lead the best-of-seven series 3-0. The Clarence S. Campbell Bowl will be at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday with an unthinkable four-game sweep on the table.

Not to mention a third trip to the Stanley Cup Final in nine years.

In the history of the NHL, no team has overcome a 0-3 deficit in a conference final.

Stone added an assist while playing 15:45 in his first game since leaving Game 3 of the second round against Anaheim.

Winger Mitch Marner added two assists, and defenseman Kaedan Korczak had assists on the game-tying and game-winning goals.

“Obviously, it wasn’t a good start. We knew they were coming. They’re down 0-2 in the series,” Stone said. “We knew that that was going to be their best game of the season.”

Goaltender Carter Hart finished with 30 saves.

Hertl, who entered the postseason without a goal since March 4 and then went the first seven playoff games without one, has three in his past six games.

This will be one to remember for a while.

“Hopefully, I’m done with the scoring slumps with the last two weeks,” Hertl said. “It was just a great play, starting with (Korczak). I just kind of grabbed speed, (Korczak) made a great play to (Stone), then (Stone) to me. I just tried to make a move and a quick backhand.”

In Game 2, the Knights handed Colorado its first loss of the season when taking a lead into the third period. The Avalanche were 45-0.

Colorado entered Sunday 74-1 all-time in the playoffs when leading by three goals. The Knights were 0-19.

The Avalanche were 52-0 when leading by multiple goals at any point this season.

In short, another day at the office for a Knights team that has done nothing but defy logic.

“I think we’ve been in that moment a lot this year,” Marner said. “We make sure we don’t get too low or too high in those moments. You just want to go out there and do your job, do your part. I think every single line that went over the boards did their part for that whole second period, and it got us back in the game where we needed to be.”

Even up 3-0, the Knights understand Colorado isn’t going away. The Avalanche got a spark by getting defenseman Cale Makar (upper body) back after missing the first two games.

The status of star center Nathan MacKinnon after blocking a shot in the second period will be something to monitor.

But the team that won’t die is on the verge of landing the knockout punch. Tuesday will be its first chance.

“This team, in the short time that I’ve been with them, has shown me nothing but (fearlessness),” Tortorella said. “They’re not afraid. It’s something we’ve tried to stress, don’t be afraid to make a mistake. I think they just have an uncanny ability to stay together.”

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.